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8 June 2015Trademarks

WIPR survey: No plain packaging for foods any time soon

WIPR readers have said that plain packaging legislation such as that recently approved for cigarettes in England is unlikely to extend to certain food products, but some have said it would be a good idea.

Last week we asked our readers whether they feared that foods, including those with high sugar and fat content, will soon be forced to adopt plain packaging measures.

In response, 65% of those surveyed said they do not fear legislation will extend that far, with 35% saying they do.

But respondents offered strong views both in favour and against potential legislation.

One respondent said: “The suggestion that plain packaging for tobacco products will lead to similar legislation for other ‘unhealthy’ goods is nothing but scaremongering by the tobacco industry.”

In March this year, the UK Parliament introduced a law requiring that from 2016 all cigarettes sold in England will be in ‘dull brown’ packaging. The name of the brand will be in a standardised typeface.

However, the law will not apply to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Another respondent said change would not happen in the “short-or mid-term” but that “things might change in the next ten or 20 years”.

Despite the consensus being that legislation will not be extended, some respondents said they were in favour of change.

“I don’t fear it will extend to high sugar but rather hope it will do ASAP. The head of NHS England [Simon Stevens] recently called sugar ‘the new smoking’. We need to listen to these experts,” one said.

Another added: “I think it will be brought in but I don’t ‘fear’ it. I think it would be an excellent idea.”

For this week’s survey, WIPR asks: “A US patent lawyer sued the Electronic Frontier Foundation for writing an allegedly defamatory blog that criticised a ‘stupid patent’ owned by his client. Do you think this is an over reaction or a sensible approach to take?”

We look forward to hearing from you.

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